The Portrait of a Certain Musician
|number=10 |image=the portrait of a certain musician cover.jpg |Airdate=June 5, 2003 |romanji=Aru Ongakuka no Shouzou |kanji=ある音楽家の肖像 |opening=Byakuya ~True Light~ |ending=Yasashii Gogo |previous=A Little Romance |next=The Temple of Neptune }}The Portrait of a Certain Musician is the 10th episode of the D.N.Angel anime. An acquaintance of Daiki Niwa passes away, and Daiki brings along Daisuke and Risa to the casket viewing. The person was Ehrlich von Vandembagu, a famous violinist. After the viewing, Daiki is presented with Ehrlich's violin, but as Daiki goes to sign some papers, Daisuke somehow gets near the violin and is sucked into the past. While Daisuke learns about the curse of the violin and Daiki's involvement, Daiki sends Dark to the past to try to rescue Daisuke before his soul gets consumed by the violin as well. Summary One overcast day, Daisuke Niwa, Daiki Niwa, and Risa Harada attend a public funeral in a chapel. After a coughing fit, Daiki somberly approaches the casket of Ehrlich von Vandembagu. During a rainstorm, a gloved hand picks up a violin from the ground and approaches Vandembagu, who is slumped on the pavement. The one with the gloves speaks, asking for a promise. The group lay lilies and say a prayer for the dead before Daiki introduces himself to an older woman nearby, Vandembagu’s sister, Bianca. After a moment, the name rings a bell and she asks him to stay behind after the funeral as she has something to give him. In Vandembagu’s home, Risa is starstruck; she sees an old photo of the violinist playing with a pianist and says her grandmother had a similar one. Risa’s gratitude for allowing her to tag along makes Daisuke blush, but the guests are soon ushered into another room by Bianca. The large room they enter has a piano and a violin in a case, the latter of which was bequeathed to Daiki in the deceased’s will. Daiki confirms that the violin is the correct one to fulfill her brother’s promise from when the man was young and unknown. Bianca turns away sadly, reminiscing about Vandembagu’s happiness before he became a world-famous violinist. After a moment of weeping, she collects herself and asks Daiki to complete the legal paperwork with her. Daisuke and Risa are left alone in the room, mourning the musician. Risa asks him to accompany her back to the main room so she can pray properly, but they are distracted by the violin which glows a sickly green. Daisuke grabs her hand to stop her from touching it but nearly passes out while trying to close the case. When he finally catches his breath, Risa sees that his eyes are now purple. Shocked and confused, she leaves in a hurry. Daiki had opened the door just as she left and asks what happened. When Daisuke responds that there is a problem, it is with Dark’s voice. Daisuke reappears at the top of an ornate staircase, gasping for air. Walking up the stairs and through him is a woman who resembles Risa. Back in the room with Daiki, Dark explains that Daisuke’s soul was taken by the violin and silently concludes that Daisuke will be unable to escape if he stays there for a day. In a concert hall, Vandembagu performs a complex piece of music on a violin, but drops it on the stage, leaving the stage in disgust. In the crowded streets, he stumbles miserably while Daisuke follows. The musician peers inside a shop at a violin, whose green glow fills his eyes. Dark stands in a circle of black feathers as he and Daiki wield their own feathers, preparing a ritual together. Daisuke reappears once more in the presence of Vandembagu who glows green, passionately plays the magical violin. Daisuke calls out to the man when the latter sits on the sofa, exhausted. At that moment, a thief slips through the window - Daiki’s younger self. He pulls the violin out of Vandembagu’s hands and flees before the man can stop him. In the courtyard, the violin glows, hurting Daiki and causing him to trip. When he rises, Vandembagu is before him, demanding back his instrument and ignoring Daiki’s warnings about the magic within it. The two struggle. When the musician explains that he needs the music from the violin to survive, Daiki is surprised and releases it. Immediately, Vandembagu is possessed again and shoves the boy to the ground. Seeing his grandfather in danger, Daisuke rushes forward to tackle Vandembagu but falls through the ghost. Vandembagu plays the violin and is engulfed in green flames, which repel Daisuke and then attack him. The dragon-like flames seem to follow the music, and Daisuke barely has enough time to rush forward and take a blast that was intended for Daiki. In the midst of his suffering, Dark appears to save Daisuke and Daiki. He launches his own magic attack and knocks Vandembagu unconscious. Dark reassures Daisuke that the other men will both be fine and prepares for them to return, but the violin reawakens Vandembagu. The belltower begins to toll; time is up. But Daisuke refuses to leave the men like this, so Dark has no choice but to join the battle once more. Daisuke is able to grab the violin and begs his unconscious grandfather to seal it. Dark pulls him away and casts the spell to leave as the final bell tolls. The two dissipate and rain falls on the unconscious men in the past. Daisuke wakes on a sofa to see Bianca Vandembagu sitting at a piano and smiling at her brother. Daisuke wakes again to see his grandfather’s concerned face. Daiki kneels beside him and, at Daisuke’s question, explains what happened after the battle. Daiki awoke in the pouring rain and asked Vandembagu to make him a promise in exchange for the violin. Daiki realizes that Daisuke is the one saved him that day. Back at the funeral, Risa prays sincerely in front of the musician’s photograph. Trivia * Yen and Jin Ragun from Lagoon Engine, another series by Yukiru Sugisaki, appear briefly in the beginning of the episode. Quotes * “There's no time to mess around. If the day changes in the world of the past... Daisuke won't be able to come back.” - Dark * “In the past… we used magic together quite often.” - Daiki Niwa * “I never thought we would use magic when we were in different bodies.” - Dark Category:Episodes